This week’s Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new women’s weight room at Pinecrest High School generated a great deal of excitement among athletes, coaches and parents alike. All were waiting to see how the $100,000 generated by the 2018 ‘Back the PAC’ Auction funds had been used.
Pinecrest Athletic Director, Jeff Hewitt, leaned in to cut the ribbon, surrounded by student athletes representing all the sports teams at Pinecrest High School. A huge cheer erupted once the ribbon was severed, followed by shock and amazement once the new weight room facilities were unveiled. The weight room facility transformation is significant, changing from an old, dilapidated collection of out-dated equipment in a dark and dreary space, to a what now looks like a weight room one would see at at the college level.
“Having a weight room of this caliber is critical to ensuring female athletes stay healthy and can work with our trainers to recover from any injuries they may experience” explained Hewitt, “Our goal as the Pinecrest Athletic Club, we call it the PAC, is to give all of our student athletes the opportunity to have the best facilities in Moore County. We want to create a First-Class facility for our kids.”
Other investments made using the 2018 Auction funds include painting the entire main gymnasium, adding an enormous Patriot logo to the main wall and adding a 30 foot mural of athletes and fans in action, as well as upgrading the turf on practice fields and the main John Williams Stadium field.
In addition, the PAC upgraded the speaker system in the gym so that dances, pep rallies and full school meetings can be held in the gym.
“The previous system was old and hard to hear due to static,” added Christa Guilder, PAC Board Member and Auction Co-chair, “ The new sound system makes the the gym a multi-purpose space. We were able to hold the Homecoming Dance in the gym this year instead off campus, which made the ticket cost much lower and more of our students could afford to attend.”
Other smaller but important improvements made with the auction funds include purchasing a fogger to combat MRSA and Staph infections in the weight rooms and locker rooms, purchasing a warming unit for the concession stand for all athletic teams to use, and installing new signage and logo flags on the campus.
“The Pinecrest PTSA has done a great job of improving the outside of the school and landscaping, now we need to come inside and tackle the indoor facilities,” stated Hewitt.
The 3rd Annual ‘Back the PAC’ Auction, to be held March 16, 2019 at the Fair Barn will focus on generating funds to create a full Girls’ Locker room at the field house. Currently, female Pinecrest and visiting athletes must use the bathroom to change into their uniforms.
Tickets for the 2019 ‘Back the PAC’ Auction are available by contacting any Pinecrest coach, going to the Pinecrest main office, or contacting Lisa Hees at [email protected]. Tickets are also available online at www.eventbrite.com (input Southern Pines NC and PAC).
Contributed
